From statelessness to digital voicelessness: How anti-immigrant disinformation targets the Rohingya in online spaces

September 20, 2025

A recent study reveals how misinformation about Rohingya refugees spreads across South Asia, transforming narratives from portraying them as victims to depicting them as threats. Over 20 fact-checked reports identified false narratives circulating on Indian social media that wrongly paint Rohingya refugees as criminals, terrorists, or demographic threats using doctored images, misleading captions, and fabrications. This transnational misinformation is particularly potent in India due to its undocumented Rohingya population, existing anti-Muslim sentiments, partisan media amplification, and highly connected social platforms.

Who is affected

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and across South Asia
Between 20,000-40,000 undocumented Rohingya refugees living in India
Social media users in India exposed to misinformation
Hindu and Muslim communities affected by religious polarization
Indian citizens influenced by false narratives about refugees

What action is being taken

Indian fact-checking organizations are conducting fact-checks on anti-Rohingya disinformation
UN observers are emphasizing the need for stronger safeguards and safety policies on social media
Fact-checkers are identifying and debunking viral false claims about Rohingya refugees
Fact-checking campaigns are tracing misinformation to politically aligned networks
Media organizations are documenting how misinformation travels across borders

Why it matters

Misinformation transforms humanitarian suffering into securitized fiction, legitimizing exclusion and hostility
False narratives exploit religious identity to fuel communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims
Rohingya refugees have virtually no voice to counter these narratives, becoming doubly silenced
The spread of misinformation has real-world consequences, as demonstrated by Facebook-driven hate speech that contributed to violence in Myanmar
These digital distortions influence public opinion and potentially shape refugee policies

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices